Barrie….hockey….Royal Victoria Hospital.     

That proved to be another winning combination last week when local MP Patrick Brown hosted his hugely successful Hockey Night in Barrie. And the 4,000 people who packed the Molson Centre proved they, do indeed, believe in RVH.

Where else but Barrie would you find 20 current and former NHL players, eight parliamentarians, two federal cabinet ministers, a Supreme Court justice, a county warden, three city councilors, a figure skating Olympian, hospital physicians, rock musicians and a Canadian comic all come together for a night of hockey bliss to support one cause?

“The game combined two things residents love – hockey and Royal Victoria Hospital and there is no better cause than the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre,” said Brown, Barrie’s Tory Member of Parliament who, ironically, plays left wing.  “This is a centre that is going to impact almost every person in the region, and what a great way to support it.”

Even non-hockey fans were swept up in the excitement of the evening as the community rallied to raise $100,000 for Royal Victoria Hospital’s Phase 1 Expansion Project – a project that will double the size of the existing hospital, including 101 new inpatient beds and the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre.

“Is there anybody whose life has not been touched by cancer in some way? I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t been affected directly or indirectly by this disease,” said Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Gartner, who was the captain of the event’s ‘white’ team. “The cancer centre is going to have a huge impact on our region.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time significant star power, including Gartner, took to the ice to raise money for the RVH Expansion.  Two years ago, the hospital launched the public phase of its “I Believe” campaign in that very same location to another sold-out crowd.

Since then, individuals, businesses and services clubs have shown tremendous support for the project.  The City of Barrie has committed $52.5 million – the largest contribution to a hospital capital project by a municipality in the entire province, while the County of Simcoe has committed $20 million. 

Meanwhile, the three Barrie Rotary Clubs have pledged $1.25 million.  So when Janice Skot announced the campaign has now raised a whopping $33 million -- putting the campaign’s $35 million goal well within reach – the crowd roared!

“Tonight we celebrate a community which has shown unprecedented generosity, compassion and support of RVH.  You believe that a healthy community needs a healthy hospital.  And you believe when people are ill or injured, they should be able to get their care as close to home as possible,” said Skot. 

“I am proud to call this region home.  And RVH is proud to call you friends.”

 Those friends have turned RVH’s dream into a reality.

If you’ve visited RVH lately, you’ll know it’s a very busy place.  Piles of dirt, backhoes, bulldozers and dump trucks are onsite and construction crews are redirecting roadways and servicing, ensuring the site is ready to put shovels in the ground and begin construction early in 2009.

The Phase 1 Expansion Project, including the cancer centre, will open in 2011/12.  We would never have gotten that far if the people of this region hadn’t said loud and clear, “We Believe”. 

I’m not sure what the score of the hockey game was.  And really, it isn’t important.  Because by the time the final buzzer sounded, we’d all won.